Marianna Keen

Children are continually learning and evolving, so being constant in your positive parenting techniques will help in shaping and dealing with your child’s behaviour. Here are 10 top tips on how to achieve harmony but also deal with those inevitable lows.

1. Talk and get to know your child

All children are different, so make time to find out what your child’s interests are and what angers him/her. Consider the tone and volume that you use, as this can make a big difference to how much your child listens and respects you.

2. Listen to your child

It’s important to listen to your child whether he/she is worried, angry or happy. If your child doesn’t feel you’re showing due consideration to their anxiety, he/she may act out, rebel or withdraw.

3. Engage in your child’s interests and introduce him/her to new ones

Whether playing, fishing, stamp collecting or engaging in sports, being active in your child’s life in a fun and stimulating way is important to their development.

4. Set boundaries and punish effectively

Children need to know where the boundaries lie before they can keep to them, so when they are testing how far they can go you need to be firm but fair. Ensure that you are constant, and when you punish them, and that you explain why they are being punished, so they will learn for the future. For a young child, placing him/her in the corner for a few minutes can be effective, while older children might be grounded. It’s a good idea to investigate why your child misbehaved before punishing him/her though.

5. Notice and praise good behaviour

Just as important as setting boundaries is rewarding your child when he/she is well behaved.

6. Praise your child’s achievements

Ask your child about their performance and achievements in school, sports, clubs and hobbies, and show your recognition, as this will make them happy and motivated to continue achieving.

7. Build self confidence

As your child grows up they will need to get used to making new friends and dealing with difficult situations. Show your child your love, and try to support your child without getting too involved so that they become more independent. Avoid comparing him/her to your other children as this can reduce confidence further.

8. Understand changes and let them learn from their own mistakes

Your child will inevitably change over time and make mistakes, and there will be difficult times, so do your best to understand and accept these moments. Don’t be afraid to let your child deal with his/her own consequences, as only in this way will they learn from their mistakes.

9. Deal with mistakes and downfalls positively

Your child will probably be as upset as you are, so for the sake of your sanity, your relationship with your child, and you child’s behaviour, try not to be pessimistic in the bad times. It will get better.

10. Look after your health and be optimistic

Your child will react to your behaviour and your attitude towards them, so in order to retain your positive parenting techniques, ensure you are happy with yourself, in good health, and able to set a good example for your child.

Finding out your partner has broken your trust and had an affair can feel like the ultimate betrayal, but if you find you both still want to work through the problem and stay together, couples counselling could be the way forward. Naturally, after being cheated on, you’ll be going through a host of strong emotions, including anger, humiliation and heart break. But after time, you may begin to feel you can forgive your partner.

Bring back trust

If after talking through the issue you both still want to be together, then couples therapy can help to bring the trust back into a relationship. Marriage counselling or relationship guidance will provide an opportunity for you both to open up and speak about whatever it is you want to discuss. The councellor will be entirely impartial and help to direct communications in the most beneficial way.

One step at a time

If you both really want to stay together and have gotten as far as attending couples therapy then that’s a great sign for your relationship.

After betrayal from one side of a couple, it is only natural that there will be many questions to be answered and cracks to be smoothed over, and it’s important you realise this will take time. Relationship guidance, although just the beginning of the process, can help you to understand one another, find answers, be honest, and return over time to being a happier and stronger couple.

Selecting a counsellor

Having made the decision to go to couples therapy, it’s important that you don’t rush in finding a counsellor you feel comfortable with and respected by. When contacting a prospect, have a few questions at hand regarding their qualifications, approach to counselling and fees. Also, check that they are registered to a professional association, and meet them in person before making a decision.

Some people may feel embarrassed or too proud to go to couples counselling, but if it’s the last chance to save a relationship you really want to be in then it may well be worth it.

Good nutrition is crucial during pregnancy, particularly in your first trimester, and because learning the foods to avoid during pregnancy can be quite overwhelming, we’ve put together some tips that will help to keep you and your baby on a healthy path.

1. Avoid all types of pâté. This is one of the main foods to avoid during pregnancy, since it can contain the bacteria Listeria. It’s unlikely for listeriosis to seriously affect your health, but the infection can have grave consequences for your developing baby.

2. Steer clear of some cheeses. Mould-ripened soft cheeses, including brie and camembert, should be avoided as they too can contain the bacteria Listeria. Likewise, steer clear of soft blue-veined cheeses like gorgonzola and roquefort.

3. Avoid unpasteurised milk. Raw milk and any by-product from this milk should not be consumed when pregnant, as it can contain bacteria.

4. Avoid raw or undercooked eggs as they can carry harmful organisms, such as E. Coli and Salmonella, which can lead to gastrointestinal infection in pregnant women. Infection can be passed through the placenta to the baby. This can be life threatening for your baby, so as a precaution it’s best to avoid eggs in their raw form, including in sauces, batter and egg nog. Cooked egg, however, is healthy for both you and your baby, providing several key nutrients in the form of protein, fats, minerals (such as zinc and selenium) and vitamins A, D and some B.

5. Consumption of certain types of fish should be monitored or avoided. It’s best to avoid shark and swordfish completely as they contain high levels of mercury, which can affect your baby’s neural development. Fresh tuna also contains relatively high levels of mercury, so it’s best to limit your intake. Some fish can contain low levels of pollutants that accumulate in their bodies over time, so pregnant women should have no more than two portions of them per week. These include oily fish, such as salmon; fresh tuna; mackerel; sardines; trout; some white fish, such as sea bass, sea bream, turbot, halibut and rock salmon; and brown crab meat. Do not avoid fish completely, as the vitamin D found in some fish, including salmon and mackerel, is important for the development of your baby’s bones.

6. Steer clear of undercooked meat. All meat should be cooked thoroughly, as raw meat can cause taxoplasmosis.

7. Wash your food thoroughly. Unwashed fruits, vegetables and salad can also contain the parasite toxoplasma, which can cause a range of complications with your baby.

8. Limit your consumption of liver. An excessive build-up of vitamin A can be harmful to your baby. Foods that contain high levels of vitamin A include liver and fish liver oils.

9. Avoid alcohol. Studies have shown that alcohol consumption in pregnancy could cause damage to the unborn child.

10.Limit your caffeine intake. Too much caffeine can cause a low birth rate or miscarriage – 200mg per day is widely considered as safe.

11. Limit your intake of food with added sugar. If you have gestational diabetes, it is particularly important to avoid foods and drinks that are high in added sugars, as these can upset your blood glucose control. It’s not healthy for people without diabetes, either. The best place to get these simple carbohydrates is from fruits and milk, while complex carbohydrates that are good for you include bread, rice, pasta and potatoes.

Romance should certainly never be dead, and if you’re lacking it in your relationship, there are plenty of ways to bring it in. Don’t rely on your partner if he’s not a natural romancer. If you romance him, then chances are he will have more idea of what you want and return the favour.

Our top tips on romance are aimed at reminding both halves of a relationship how special they are to one another, and if you feel things have become a bit flat, it’s a great way of bringing back that spark. Knowing how to romance isn’t necessarily obvious, so if it doesn’t come to you easily, start with this basic first suggestion and then progress to the others. You will soon become a natural and be full of your own ideas.

Take your other half for a walk in the countryside or for a stroll along the beach to watch the sun set. You’ll find time to be alone in beautiful surroundings, a perfect setting for telling that special someone how much they mean to you.

The element of surprise is certainly a friend to romance, and even the tiniest of gestures can bring a huge smile to your man’s face. Try sneaking a little handmade love note into his briefcase.

If your partner’s birthday’s coming up, that is the perfect time to be romantic (though of course it doesn’t need to be his birthday for you to buy him a gift). Surprise him by getting a loving gift sent to his work. It might be a big box of luxury chocolates or something with a more personal touch.

To go that step further, why not take your man for a stroll in the park, or along the river, to an already prepared romantic picnic with wine and the works! This would be perfect on a nice day or on a warm evening, with candles providing the ideal atmosphere.

If you want to go all out and create some fun while you’re at it, set up a little treasure hunt where he has to follow hidden clues throughout his day, to eventually find you. That might be at a picnic, as previously mentioned, or alternatively have the clues lead to the bedroom, where you have candles, wine, music, and yourself in irresistible lingerie awaiting.

Another important romance help is to tailor any gesture to your special someone. Only by knowing him as well as you do can you decide on what he will appreciate most.

Ok, let’s face it, relationships are rarely perfect and, if you’ve found that special person you want to be with, then some relationship advice can come in handy. You may need to reconcile a particular problem, maybe you’re looking for a better way to manage some parts of the relationship or perhaps things have gone a bit stale.

Of course, it’s usually possible to talk to your partner about any problems in the relationship, and sort them out between you. Taking advice from good friends and family can also help, but if you find things aren’t improving don’t be afraid to visit a third party who can look at the issue objectively.

Visiting relationship or marriage counsellors is not uncommon in today’s society and it may well save your relationship.

What to expect in your first counselling sessions

It’s totally understandable that you might find it daunting to bare your soul and reveal your inner-most hopes and fears to a stranger. You may also be worried about upsetting your partner or making the problems even worse. But remember that relationship counsellors are trained to be impartial. They will avoid taking sides on who is the victim and will not attribute blame.

The first thing your counsellor would probably ask is why you’ve chosen now to seek outside help. He/she will then proceed to ask each of you what you perceive to be the problems, and what you would like to discuss. He/she will do their best to keep you relaxed and maintain a respectful discussion.

Future sessions may delve into certain aspects such as your family life and what problems took place in the week between sessions.

If you’re thinking about seeking relationship advice then that’s a great first step, as it shows you care. The chances are that if you’ve gotten this far in your relationship, after some relationship councelling you will soon begin to support each other in making the necessary changes.

The ideal pregnancy diet for keeping you and your baby healthy changes over the course of pregnancy, so we’re sharing delicious recipes for pregnant women from Nigel Slater, you can be sure to get a nutrition boost for you both.

There are certain vitamins and minerals that you should always look for, and others that are best avoided during pregnancy, and these recipes from Nigel Slater provide a lot of the important nutrients. Things that play an important role when you’re pregnant are folate (folic acid), iron, calcium, omega-­3 fats and fibre.

Foods to avoid include soft, raw or unpasteurised cheeses like Brie, Camembert, feta or goat’s cheese; high-mercury fish like shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish; and alcohol. Including these two delicious and healthy pregnancy recipes from Nigel Slater into your weekly diet will make eating the rights foods simple.

Chinese Chicken and Chutney Sandwich

Fried in five-spice powder and served with chutney and lettuce, this is a light, simple way to enjoy a healthy piece of chicken breast.

Ingredients:

1 cooked chicken breast

2 tbsp groundnut oil

1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder

1 iceberg lettuce leaf

2 tsp chutney

Method:

Tear the chicken breast into a pan with the groundnut oil and fry with the five-spice powder for five minutes.

Take the lettuce leaf and fill with the chicken. Spoon over the chutney and wrap the lettuce around to contain the filling.

Pasta with Watercress and Hand-Made Pesto

Nigel Slater’s peppery basil and watercress pesto is a fresh take on an old Italian classic.

Ingredients:

300-400g/10½-14oz dried pasta (enough for 4)

a handful pine kernels, plus extra to serve

3 garlic cloves

sea salt, to taste

a good handful fresh basil leaves

a bunch watercress leaves

a handful grated parmesan, plus extra to serve

olive oil

2 large handfuls rocket leaves

Method:

Put the pasta on to cook in a pan of deep, heavily salted, boiling water.

Toast the pine nuts in a frying pan – keep a close eye on them and keep moving them around the pan until they are a pale golden-brown.

Peel the garlic and crush it with a large pinch of sea salt using a pestle and mortar. Add the basil leaves and continue crushing with the pestle.

Strip the watercress leaves from their stems and add to the basil, continuing to crush until you have a bright green purée.

Add the toasted pine kernels, crush, and add the grated parmesan. Slowly mix in enough olive oil to give a good thick sauce.

When the pasta is cooked (about 9 minutes depending on the variety), drain lightly and tip back into the empty pan. Add the pesto and the rocket leaves, then toss gently to mix. Serve with extra parmesan and toasted pine kernels if you wish.

Choosing to eat nutritious foods during pregnancy is important to your welfare and that of your baby, so we’ve put together 6 easy-to-follow recommendations to help you on your way.

The ideal diet for keeping you and your baby healthy changes over the course of pregnancy, but sticking to these recommendations is a simple way to ensure you’re keeping a healthy pregnancy diet and cutting out those harmful foods.

1. Increase your intake of certain minerals and vitamins

These include folic acid and vitamin D, as these are necessary for the development of the foetus and your health.

This is particularly important in your first trimester, which is the most critical time in your pregnancy.

You need vitamin D to maintain proper levels of calcium and phosphorous, which help build your baby’s bones and teeth. A deficiency of the vitamin during pregnancy can cause growth retardation and skeletal deformities.

Good pregnancy foods that are high in vitamin D include salmon, mackerel, canned tuna fish in oil, and products fortified with vitamin D.

Folic acid is a man-made form of folate, a B vitamin that occurs naturally in food. It’s unlikely that you’ll get enough folate to protect your baby just from the food you eat, which is why folic acid supplements are recommended.

However, folate-rich foods that can also help you to achieve a healthy pregnancy include whole grain bread, beans, pulses, and green vegetables such as broccoli and spinach.

2. Keep your consumption of vitamin A down

An excessive build-up of vitamin A can be harmful to your baby. Foods that contain high levels of vitamin A include liver and fish liver oils.

3. Your consumption of certain types of fish should be monitored or avoided.

When it comes to fish, it’s difficult to know what to eat when pregnant.

It’s best to avoid shark, swordfish and marlin completely as they can contain high levels of mercury, which can affect your baby’s neural development. Fresh tuna can also contain high levels of mercury, but rather than cutting tuna out of your diet completely, limit yourself to two tinned tuna steaks per week.

The following fish can contain low levels of pollutants that accumulate in their bodies over time, so you should have no more than two portions of them per week: oily fish, such as salmon, fresh tuna, mackerel, sardines, and trout; some white fish, such as sea bass, sea bream, turbot, halibut, and rock salmon; and brown crab meat.

4. Avoid soft unpasteurised rind cheeses and pâté

These can contain the bacteria listeria. It’s unlikely for listeriosis to seriously affect your health, but the infection can have grave consequences for your developing baby.

5. Abstain from alcohol

Studies have shown that alcohol consumption in pregnancy could cause damage to the unborn child.

In addition to considering what to eat when pregnant, it’s important to be wary of what you consume after having had your baby. Even after giving birth, when breast feeding, it’s best to limit your consumption of alcohol and caffeine, as small amounts of what you consume can be present in your breast milk and may be passed to your baby.

6. Avoid raw or undercooked eggs

They can carry harmful organisms, such as E.Coli and Salmonella, which can lead to gastrointestinal infection in pregnant women. Infection can be passed through the placenta to the baby.

This can be life threatening for your baby, so as a precaution it’s best to avoid eggs in their raw form, including in sauces, batter and egg nog.

Well cooked eggs, however, can be safely eaten, but make sure you check the best before date and keep them well refrigerated.

Eggs impart several key nutrients in the form of protein, fats, minerals (such as zinc and selenium) and vitamins A, D and some B, which make them a healthy food during pregnancy.

The birth chart predicts your baby’s sex based on your Chinese lunar age at the time you conceived and the Chinese lunar month in which you became pregnant.

The chart is based on the Chinese Lunar Calendar, and although there’s no scientific proof that the gender predictor works, it’s been used for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years as a pre-conception gender predicting tool.

Maintaining fitness is important to improving health, improving your mood and self-image, but when pregnant there are also additional benefits.

Exercise during pregnancy can help prevent problems such a pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, as well as many other physical and mental demands of being pregnant, though choosing the best activities is a foremost concern.

Regular exercise can help you deal with many uncomfortable side effects of pregnancy, including back ache, fatigue and constipation. Staying fit and healthy will also prepare you for the demands of labour and help to keep mother and baby well.

Exercises to avoid during pregnancy

When pregnant, it’s best to avoidactivities where you might be thrown off-balance or have a hard fall on your belly. Sports to steer clear of include horse-riding, cycling, skiing, gymnastics and water skiing.

Diving is also unsafe during pregnancy. Scuba divers must decompress as they return to the surface of the water, and developing babies may have difficulty decompressing.

Ball sports are also risky as you may be hit in the stomach.

Exercises for a healthy pregnancy

Don’t overdo it when you’re pregnant, but aim to exercise for about 30 minutes, 3 times a week. As a rule, you should be able to hold a normal conversation while you’re exercising.

Exercising too often may make you more likely to give birth to a small baby, while high-impact workouts may put too much stress on your joints and pelvic floor muscles.

Great pregnancy exercises include yoga, walking, spinning and going to the gym. Water based sports such as swimming and water aerobics are also suitable and enjoyable.

Getting out in the countryside to go some activities in the fresh air is also beneficial for pregnancy, so if you fancy some adventure, go for a short hike or enjoy some kayaking.

Running during pregnancy tends to lead to leaner babies and shorter labour. Although jogging is fine for part of your pregnancy, your health care provider will probably advise you to stop jogging if you are experiencing any pregnancy complications.

If there is anything you’re unsure about, check with your health care provider for specific recommendations.

Keeping to an exercise regime and maintaining a healthy pregnancy will make it easier to control weight gain, so that reaching your ideal figure after giving birth is not as tough as you might think.

Whether you’ve got full, thick hair or fine, thin hair, you will have noticed the difference that your face shape makes on how your favourite hairstyle looks. Complimenting a round face isn’t always easy so we’ve put together five of the best hairstyles for round faces, plus some styling tips to help you style your new cut.

With short hair or tied-up hair, try adding volume on the top of the head with moose, spritz, back-combing or wax, just like style queen Ginnifer Goodwin who adds texture to her pixie cut with a little hair product, instantly elongating the face.

Fringes can look amazing on round faces, just avoid thick fringes on hair that is shoulder length or above – this will just swamp your face. Kirsten Dunst opts for a soft, side-swept fringe will looks romantic and feminine yet flattering.

Thick or curly hair can look very dense when cut short, making your face look rounder. If you have very thick hair and wish to cut your hair to shoulder length or shorter, layering and feathering can make the hair look lighter and smoother. Law and Order’s Mariska Hargitay might have thick, full hair, but her chic short hairstyle and clever layering makes her hair look lighter and younger.

When wearing hair up, trail some hair at the front to frame the face – Emma Stone is a pro at the updo with soft, feathered layers around the face.

Hairstyling tips for round faces:

1. Frame your face by curling the front of the hair inwards. This looks best when done at around chin length.

2. As with any face shape, healthy, well-kept hair will always make you look and feel great, so stick to a daily hair care beauty regime, avoiding heated styling aids and chemical-heavy products when possible. Pay attention to your hair type and condition when choosing from among the many fashionable hairstyles for round faces that are out there.

Winter is the perfect time to make a major hairstyle change and opt for the chop. Very short hair looks super chic with a turtleneck and trench coat (and gives you enough time before summer to grow it out if you’re not thrilled with the look).

The decision to chop your long hair off can make you quite apprehensive, particularly as you come to the day of your hair cut and still haven’t made the decision of which style to go for! To help you make that decision, here are five of the best very short hairstyles out there right now.

Pixie cut hairstyle

This is a stylish and eye-catching style for thin, fine hair and is a favourite with celebrities like Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway. It will really make your eyes pop, so now is the time to play up your eye makeup with stronger brows and dark lashes.

Short and sleek bob

This is a variation of the pixie cut but with longer and shorter layers to give a sleeker look. This style is perfect for all ages and ideal if you’ve got fine hair and are looking for a more sophisticated, fashionable look as a refreshing change to long, limp locks – just ask Katie Holmes.

Face framing bob

This chic hair cut is short at the back and long enough at the front to frame your face and can suit every face shape, but it particularly compliments a rounder face. For an even more striking look, pair the chop with a bold new hair colour, like Ashlee Simpson’s platinum blonde bob.

Short and messy hairstyle

Messy short styles are among the easiest to maintain, often needing just a quick tousle with some wax – ideal if you’re not a morning person and only have a few minutes to get ready! Short and messy hairstyles also suit different face shapes. Drew Barrymore’s messy bob is both sexy and sophisticated.

Classic bob with fringe

There are so many variations to the classic bob, though a very short version with a bold fringe is trending once more and really gives body to otherwise flyaway hair. Dannii Minogue’s bob and fringe is one of our favourite hairstyles of all time. It’s more high maintenance than other bob hairstyles, but you can style the fringe in many ways, including a side swept fringe, clipped up away from the face or tousled in soft waves.

Acne, large pores, blackheads and oily skin are some of the most common skin conditions that many of us deal with, even into adulthood. Keeping these skin issues under control can be quite the challenge, so we’ve put together 7 skin care tips to help you get healthy skin.

1. Use the right productsYou may be using the wrong skin care products for your skin type. Wash your face twice a day with a basic cleanser to keep your skin bacteria-free, and make sure you use an oil-free moisturiser. It’s also a good idea to try natural and organic skin care which has gentler ingredients as well as no preservatives and parabens (these can cause skin problems).

2. Reduce stressLike hormonal imbalances, stress can cause the skin to flare up. Thankfully though, this is preventable. Try reducing your work load and activities in the day, spend some time meditating, doing yoga or just relaxing and doing what you enjoy, and you’ll find that your acne gradually improves.

3. Get sufficient sleepMaintaining a healthy sleeping routine is very important to not just your skin, but your physical and mental wellbeing, so make sure you’re getting at least 8 hours of quality sleep each night. If you have trouble sleeping, cutting out caffeine intake in the late afternoon, drinking chamomile tea, taking a soak in the bath, and switching off the TV 30 minutes before bed can help to reduce stress, helping you sleep.

4. Drink plenty of water. Hydration is key to healthy skin and your general health, so try to get into a routine of consuming at least 2 litres of water a day. Drinking plenty of water flushes out toxins, keeps you hydrated from within and regulates your digestion, all key factors for healthy skin.

5. Eat more fruits and vegetablesWhy is it we’re mad for the latest antioxidant-rich, vitamin-laden skin care, when we can get this naturally from within by eating more fruits and vegetables? Some fresh produce are specifically amazing for keeping your skin healthy and glowing. These include strawberries, plums, orange, red grapes, kiwi, pink grapefruit, artichoke, beetroot, cabbage, broccoli, red chicory, red chilis, dark and leafy greens, sweet potato and carrot, among many others.

6. Check with your doctor whether you might have a hormone imbalanceAn imbalance in hormone levels can cause a host embarrassing skin conditions. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects an estimated 7 percent of all women, with symptoms including excessive hair growth, oily skin, blackheads and acne. Although there is no cure, your doctor might prescribe the contraceptive pill or progesterone to help balance your hormones and control the problem. If you do have PCOS, this will likely help with other symptoms of the condition too. Remember that treatments such as laser hair removal may not work in the long-term reduction of hair caused by a hormonal imbalance.

7. See a dermatologistIf you can’t find the cause for your skin troubles, a visit to a specialist can be very revealing. A dermatologist might be able to help determine whether an allergy is the cause of your problem, or may subscribe some effective products to help control, the condition.